THE PASSIVE

The passive = The verb “to be” + The past participle

ACTIVE PASSIVE SIMPLE The government will raise taxes FUTURE SIMPLE Italy imports energy from France PRESENT PRESENT The mechanic is repairing the car CONTINUOUS SIMPLE PAST Lufthansa made 650 staff redundant PAST TESLA was producing a record number CONTINUOUS of electric cars in 2019 PRESENT Google has taken over Fitbit Inc. PERFECT PAST PERFECT Apple had sold 10 million iPhone 11’s within three days of the product launch

USE: We use the passive,

i) When the object or the action is more important than the subject of the sentence. ii) To avoid using the subject or when the subject is not important or unknown. iii) When the subject is so obvious that it does not need to be stated. iv) To establish a more objective and scientific style.

THE PASSIVE: Modal Verbs

MODAL VERB + “BE” + PAST PARTICIPLE

Can used Could be told Must sold Had to replaced

+ This medicine must be used by 2022 — The machines couldn’t be replaced ? Can the computer be repaired?

Gianni Versace ……………….. (born) in 1946 in Reggio Calabria. When he ……………….. (be)

twenty-five, he ……………….. (decide) to go to Milan and become a fashion designer. His

company, Gianni Versace SPA, ……………….. (found) in 1978 and at the age of thirty-six, he

……………….. (award) a prize for being the best designer of women’s clothes. During the 1980’s,

the Versace brand ………………..firmly……………….. (establish) as a symbol of Italian luxury and

………………… (diversify) into accessories, cosmetics, jewellery and fragrances. In 1984, he

……………….. (create) an unusual perfume for men which ……………….. (call) ‘Versace

l’Homme’. Four years later, Spain’s first Versace shop ………………….. (open) in Madrid.

Expansion continued steadily until, by now, Versace products ………………… (distribute) all over

the world via an impressive international retail network, including 81 Versace boutiques which

…..……………….. (locate) in the primary commercial avenues of major cities, such as Via

Montenapoleone in Milan and Bond Street in London. In 1995, Gianni Versace …………………

(organize) a party with Elton John where he personally ……………….. (sign) copies of his new

book ‘Men without Ties’, which …………… then ……………. (sell) to the invited guests. All the

money that ………………… (raise) by the party and the book ……………….. (give) to AIDS

charities. Sadly, Versace ………………….. (kill) in Miami on July 15th 1997. The FBI

…………………….. (suspect) that the notorious serial killer, Andrew Cunanan, might

………………….. (involve) in the Versace case. Nine days later, however, Cunanan

………………………. (find) dead in Miami so the police still ………………………….. (not know)

why Gianni Versace ………………… (murder). Meanwhile, Gianni Versace SPA …………………..

(take over) by his brother, Santo, and his sister, Donatella, which means that, if the company’s

success continues, the products he designed …………………………. (sell) long after his death.

BLACK LIVES MATTER

The wave of protests in the US over the killing of George Floyd are the latest outpourings of anger that have erupted after the deaths of African Americans in police custody. The Black Lives Matter movement emerged in response to the acquittal of the man who killed teenager Trayvon Martin in Florida. Here are some of the major incidents from 2012 onwards. Read the text and put the verbs into the correct form. February 26, 2012: Trayvon Martin Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old African-American high school student, ……………….. (shoot) in Sanford, Florida. The culprit, George Zimmerman, a 28-year-old man of mixed race was the Neighbourhood Watch coordinator for his gated community where Martin ……………….. (visit) his relatives at the time of the shooting. Zimmerman killed Martin, who was unarmed, during a physical altercation between the two. Zimmerman, who ………………….. (injure) during the encounter, claimed self-defence in the confrontation. The trial ………………. widely …….………. (report). Although Zimmerman ……………….. (charge) with murder for Martin's death, he ……………….. (acquit) after claiming self-defence. 17 July 2014: Eric Garner Eric Garner died after he ……………….. (wrestle) to the ground by a New York police officer on suspicion of illegally selling cigarettes. While in a choke hold, Mr Garner uttered the words, "I can't breathe" 11 times. The incident ……………….. (film) by a bystander and led to protests across the country. The police officer involved ………..………….. (fire) but ………………….. (not prosecute).

9 August 2014: Michael Brown Michael Brown, 18, ……………….. (kill) by a police officer, in Ferguson, Missouri, who was responding to reports that Brown - who was not armed - had stolen a box of cigars. The exact circumstances of the encounter ……………….. (dispute) but Brown ……………….. (shoot) six times, according to the autopsy. A report by the Department of Justice later concluded that the police force ……………….. (display) racial bias against Brown and excessive force ……………….. (use). The officer involved resigned but ……………….. (not prosecute). The incident led to multiple waves of protests and civil unrest in Ferguson, raising the profile of the Black Lives Matter movement. 22 November 2014: Tamir Rice

Tamir Rice, a boy of 12, ……………….. (shoot) dead in Cleveland, Ohio by a police officer after reports of a male, who was "probably a juvenile", pointing a gun that was "probably fake" at passers by. Police claimed that they told Rice to drop the weapon but he pointed it at them, instead. The officers confirmed that the gun was a toy after Rice ……………….. (shoot) dead. There were no prosecutions after this case. The police officer involved ……………….. (sack) three years later for lying on his job application form.

6 July 2016: Philando Castile

Philando Castile ……………….. (kill) while out driving with his girlfriend in St Paul, Minnesota. He ……………….. (pull) over by the police during a routine check and told them he ……………….. (license) to carry a weapon and had one in his possession. According to his girlfriend, he ……………….. (shoot) as he was reaching for his licence. The whole encounter ……………….. (live stream) on Facebook. The officer involved ……………….. (clear) of murder charges. 18 March 2018: Stephon Clark

Stephon Clark ……………………….. (shoot) at least seven times in Sacramento, California, by police who ……………….. (investigate) a break-in. The district attorney said that the police ……………….. (not commit) a crime, as the officers said they feared for their lives, believing Mr Clark was armed. No weapons ……………….. (find) at the scene of the crime, only Clark’s mobile phone, next to his body, in the garden, where he …………………… (make) a phone-call. When a police video of the incident ………………….. (release), it prompted major protests in the city. 13 March 2020: Breonna Taylor

Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old emergency medical technician, was at home in bed when she ……………….. (shoot) eight times as officers ……………….. (raid) her apartment in Louisville, Kentucky. The police were executing a search warrant as part of a drugs raid but no drugs ……………….. (find). Louisville police said they returned fire after one officer ……………….. (shoot) and wounded in the incident. The family has filed a lawsuit which says that Ms Taylor's partner fired in self-defence because the police did not identify themselves and he believed their home ……………….. (burgle). One of the policemen involved ………………………….. (fire) and two others ……………….. (put) on administrative leave 25 May 2020: George Floyd

George Floyd died after he ……………………….. (arrest) in Minneapolis and ………………………. (hold) down by police officers, one of whom had his knee on Mr Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes. He pleaded that he couldn't breathe. Protests broke out in cities across the US and there were demonstrations in other parts of the world. One officer …………………………….. (accuse) of second-degree murder and three others will face charges of aiding and abetting murder. 26 August 2020: Jacob Blake Police in Kenosha, Wisconsin, ………………………….. (shoot) a black man seven times in the back as he ……………….. (get) into a car with his children inside, according to video and a statement from the attorney representing the man’s family. Violent unrest broke out after video of the shooting of Jacob Blake, 29, ………………………… (disseminate) on social media, prompting Gov. Tony Evers on Monday to call out the National Guard. The incident also propelled Wisconsin, already a battleground state in the upcoming presidential election, into the centre of the Black Lives Matter movement. Jacob Blake, father of six, ………………………….. (handcuff) to his hospital bed, despite being paralysed from the waist down, but is now in a stable condition.

2.5.Welcome to the Marche

2.5.1.Gradara Castle: Reading Comprehension

a) First, watch the Gradara Castle promotional video:

www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=162&v=WF4XT_LqP1k&feature=emb_logo

b) Now read this extract from a guide book to the Marche region of Italy.

Gradara Castle is the most visited monument in the Marche. This imposing

Mediaeval fortress is located in the village of Gradara and is protected by two walls: an

outer rampart which extends for over 700 metres and an inner one where visitors can stroll

at their leisure, enjoying spectacular views of Romagna, Carpegna and the Republic of

San Marino.

The castle was built in about 1150 by the De Griffo family to regulate trade along

the Adriatic coast but was later taken over by the House of Malatesta whose domain

comprised Rimini, Cesena and Pesaro. Ownership of the citadel was keenly contested by

troops belonging to the Montefeltro and the Sforza dynasties until it was reclaimed by the

church in 1641.

In 1920, the Zanvettori family bought the fortress which, in the intervening centuries,

had been reduced to ruins. The famous architect, Giuseppe Sacconi, was commissioned

to restore the central tower and its surrounding walls and now, thanks to him, Gradara can

be seen in all its original glory.

As every Italian school-pupil knows, this is where Francesca da Rimini fell in love

with Paolo Malatesta. Unfortunately, she was already married to Gianciotto Malatesta, his

older brother, and the story ended tragically when their affair was discovered. Gianciotto

was furious and the adulterous lovers were both killed. The episode was immortalized in

Dante’s ‘Inferno’ and Gradara Castle has been a symbol of romance and overpowering

passion ever since.

What To See

The central tower of the twelfth-century Demesne Fortress has been perfectly

preserved and can be reached via a drawbridge and a picturesque inner courtyard. Here

you can visit chambers inhabited at one time or another by some of the greatest names of

the Italian Renaissance, the Sforzas, the Malatestas, the Borgias, the Della Roveres and,

of course, the doomed lovers, Paolo and Francesca.

From here, you will be taken to a museum that houses a unique collection of

antique arms and armour, documents and instruments of torture. Complete your visit with

a panoramic walk along the ramparts to admire the green and yellow hills of the Marche

and the azure Adriatic Sea.

A multimedia visitors’ centre is being constructed and will be completed within the

next two years. In the meantime, the village of Gradara offers all kinds of dramatic, musical

and cultural attractions, like ‘The Siege of the Fortress’, ‘The Night of the Witches and the

Sprites’ and the fabulous ‘Magic Castle’ event, which are held in the streets of the citadel.

Fun for all the family!

Guided tours of the village and the castle, explaining their principal historical,

architectural and artistic features, with a panoramic view from the top of the Demesne

Fortress and a dramatic representation of the legend of Paolo and Francesca are available

from January to December but must be booked at least ten days in advance.

c) Now answer the following questions:

i) Where is Gradara Castle located?

ii) When was Gradara Castle built?

iii) Why was Gradara Castle built?

iv) Who restored the Demesne Fortress?

v) Why is Gradara Castle still famous today?

vi) Who were Paolo and Francesca?

vii) Why did they have to die?

viii) Why can’t you visit Gradara Castle’s multimedia visitors’ centre?

ix) Where is the ‘Magic Castle’ event held?

x) How far in advance must tours be booked?

2.5.2.Grammar: The Passive

In the ‘Gradara Castle’ reading passage, we saw many examples of the passive in

English. As in Italian, the passive = the verb “to be” + the past participle

a) In active sentences, the Subject is the most important element of the sentence. As here,

SIMPLE FUTURE: A guide will take you to the museum

SIMPLE PRESENT: Gradara holds all kinds of events each year

PRESENT CONTINUOUS: MIB Srl. is constructing a multimedia visitors’ centre

SIMPLE PAST: Gianciotto Malatesta killed Paolo and Francesca

PRESENT PERFECT: Giuseppe Sacconi has preserved the central tower perfectly

PAST PERFECT: Time had reduced the castle to ruins

b) In passive sentences, however, the Object comes first. We then put the verb ‘to be’ into

the appropriate tense and add the past participle of the main verb, as here,

SIMPLE FUTURE: You will be taken to the museum

SIMPLE PRESENT: All kinds of events are held each year

PRESENT CONTINUOUS: A multimedia visitors’ centre is being constructed

SIMPLE PAST: Paolo and Francesca were killed

PRESENT PERFECT: The central tower has been preserved perfectly

PAST PERFECT: The castle had been reduced to ruins

c) Passive Constructions with Modal Verbs

In this case, we put the modal verb into its past, present or future form, and add the base

form of the auxiliary verb, ‘be’, plus the past participle of the main verb. As here,

MODAL VERB + ‘BE’ + PAST PARTICIPLE

Can seen

Could be cancelled

Must booked

Had to postponed

This is the conventional word order in affirmative, negative and interrogative sentences:

+ The tour must be booked ten days in advance

— The tickets couldn’t be cancelled

? Can the visit be postponed?

d) Use

In tourism texts, we use the passive,

i) When the Object or the action is more important than the Subject of the sentence.

e.g. The famous architect, Giuseppe Sacconi, was commissioned to restore the central

tower and its surrounding walls.

(In this sentence, the architect, Giuseppe Sacconi, is more important than the Zanvettori

family, who commissioned him)

ii) To avoid using the Subject or when the Subject is not important or unknown.

e.g. Their affair was discovered.

(Who discovered it? We don’t know, it doesn’t matter)

iii) When the Subject is so obvious that it does not need to be stated.

e.g. The episode was immortalized in Dante’s ‘Inferno’.

(By Dante, obviously)

NB. In a passive sentence, if we want to mention the Subject, we can turn it into an Agent

by adding the preposition ‘by’, e.g. Ownership of the castle was keenly contested by troops

belonging to the Montefeltro and the Sforza dynasties until it was reclaimed by the church

in 1641.

2.5.3.Writing

The Holy House of Loreto

Now tell the story of the Holy House of Loreto by putting these phrases in the correct

order.

i) in Lonely Planet’s / The Marche / for 2020 / was included / top ten travel destinations

……………………………………………………………………………………………………

ii) will be visited / This means that / by tourists from all over the world / the shrine of Our

Lady of Loreto

……………………………………………………………………………………………………

iii) is well known / as a pilgrimage destination / throughout Italy / Loreto

……………………………………………………………………………………………………

iv) was transported to Loreto / of the house / It is the final resting place / which, according

to legend, / by angels / where the Virgin Mary was born and raised

……………………………………………………………………………………………………

v) can still be visited today / in the 13th century / and / It arrived there

……………………………………………………………………………………………………

vi) may have been / It is thought that / based on historical events / this legend

……………………………………………………………………………………………………

vii) had been / Documents discovered in the Vatican archive / dismantled by the Crusaders

/ the Virgin Mary’s house in Nazareth / in the 13th century / indicate that

……………………………………………………………………………………………………

viii) the Angelos family / and the bricks were later shipped / by members of / to Italy

……………………………………………………………………………………………………

ix) by ‘the Angeli’? / So, / really delivered to the Marche / was the Holy House

……………………………………………………………………………………………………

x) cannot be proved / Sadly, / the theory

……………………………………………………………………………………………………

2.5.4.The Frasassi Caves

a) First, watch this promotional video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iwlicjkXXg

b) Now complete the text below by putting the verbs in brackets into the passive form of

the simple present, present perfect, past perfect, future or past tense.

The Frasassi Caves are a karst cave system, which …………1………………

(locate) near Genga in the Marche region of Italy. The caves ………………2………………..

(discover) by a group of amateur speleologists in September 1971 and

………………3……………… (open) to the public three years later. Nowadays, groups of

visitors ……………4………….. (allow) in but they must …………5……………..

(accompany) by a guide.

The cave system …………6……………….. (form) in the Upper Pliocene period,

about one-and-a-half million years ago, and the basic structure of its subterranean

combination ……………7…………. (compose) of at least six superimposed levels.

The Frasassi caves contain five astonishing chambers which .……8……… (know)

as: ‘The Cave of Bats’, which ………9………. (colonize) by a vast swarm of bats, who still

live there; ‘The Great Cave of the Wind’, which …………10………… (traverse) by some 13

kilometres of passageways; ‘The Ancona Abyss’, a huge space which

…………11………… (estimate) to be almost 125 metres wide and about 300 metres high;

‘The Room of the Candles’, which ………12.……. (pack) with stalagmites that resemble

candles; and ‘The Room of the Infinite’, a lofty chamber whose roof …………13….……

(support) by imposing speleothem columns.

The Frasassi Caves are of great interest to scientists — and not just for their

geology. In recent years, they ………14…….... (use) to conduct experiments in

chronobiology. Volunteers have lived there for extended periods in order to investigate the

effects of long-term sensory deprivation on the human body and mind. After several

months underground, some subjects reported that their sense of time

…………15……………. (affect), for example, and others found that certain metabolic

cycles ………16………… (alter), too.

Tourists opting for a shorter stay ……………17…………… (advise) to book their

visit online at www.frasassi.com and should ……………18……………. (warn) that the

caves ……………19…………. (close) to the public on December 4th, December 25th and

from 10th-30th January inclusive. Reservations must ……………20………………. (make)

before 12.00 of the day before the tour and visitors should present themselves at the ticket

office 30 minutes in advance.

2.5.5.Translation

Look at this account of Ferruccio Mengaroni’s famous ceramic sculpture of the Medusa. It

is full of passive constructions. Imagine that you have to incorporate it into an audio-guide

to Pesaro’s Municipal Museum. How would you translate it into Italian?

Mengaroni’s Medusa

Ferruccio Mengaroni was one of Pesaro’s most illustrious artists, whose preferred

medium of expression was ceramics. A larger-than-life character and a compulsive

exhibitionist, Mengaroni was, according to the author Fabio Tombari, “much seen and

admired rather less”. A superstitious man, it is said that he used to wander the streets of

his native town festooned with talismans and amulets to ward off the Evil Eye. It is ironic,

therefore, that he was literally struck down by a pagan deity renowned for her vindictive

nature.

A restless and volatile youth, he was expelled from every school in the land. It was

only when his father found a place for him in a pottery workshop that his spirit found

peace. From then on, Mengaroni’s life was dedicated to ceramics. His talent was soon

recognized and by the mid-1920’s, he had been welcomed into the inner circle of the Art

Deco movement.

Even today, his finest works, like the Sea Crab and St. Peter’s Fish, look like visions

of the future. His crowning achievement, however, was a life-size rendering of the Medusa,

more than two metres in diameter, weighing 1,200 kilogrammes; a monumental piece of

maiolica, whose face, screaming amid a crown of writhing serpents, was modelled on his

own.

It was an undisputed masterpiece and, in 1925, Mengaroni was duly asked to

exhibit it at the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts at the Villa

Reale in Monza. Following a long and difficult journey, Mengaroni and his workmen had

hauled it as far as the first floor when the crate slipped. Mengaroni sprang in front of the

falling Medusa to stop it crashing through the balustrade and shattering into pieces, and

was crushed to death by his greatest artwork, its screaming visage mirroring his own.

In recognition of his brilliant career, which was sadly cut short at the age of 50,

Pesaro’s art school was named after Maestro Ferruccio Mengaroni. By contrast, his ill-

omened nemesis was consigned to a store-room where it languished in obscurity until it

was retrieved by the Director of Pesaro’s Municipal Museum, Gian Carlo Polidori, and

restored by Athos Tombari. Today, it can be seen hanging above the staircase leading to

the Museum, looming ominously over its unwary admirers, a sinister study in terror.

2.5.6. VIDEO COMPREHENSION

Now watch this video clip about Tamara de Lempicke and her husband, Tadeusz

Lempicki, and summarize its contents.

‘Self-Portrait in a Green Bugatti’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7y62r2Nf0g